Louise Lewis Hill

Louise Lewis Hill was born in Thorsby, Alabama, on September 30, 1925, and was peacefully reunited for eternity with her Heavenly father, loving husband, numerous family members and countless friends, on October 30, 2023 at the age of 98 and one month.

Louise was a faithful servant of God, and a committed wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She was preceded in death by her loving husband, John B. Hill, her parents, George Dewey Lewis and Mrs. Willa Farmer Benton, and her sister, Mrs. Lorraine Comento. Louise spent time at Connie Maxwell Children's home in Greenwood, South Carolina, where she graduated from high school, and received an AA degree from North Greenville Junior College and a BA from Winthrop College in 1945. Louise spent a year teaching an all-grade school in Wagener, SC, and then entered nursing school at Baptist Hospital in Columbia, graduating with her RN in 1949. Having felt a call to overseas missionary service, she enrolled in seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, and began working there at Harris Hospital. On her first night of work she met a fellow seminary student from South Carolina, John Hill, who was also a mission volunteer. They were married in Columbia in 1951, and upon graduation with her Master's in Religious Education in 1953 they moved to South Carolina with their baby boy to fulfill mission board requirements of two years of ministry before going overseas. Louise taught piano lessons during this time and raised two small boys.

In 1955, Louise and John accepted an appointment by the Foreign Mission Board, later the International Mission Board (IMB), to serve as missionaries in Nigeria. John's assignment was education, and Louise used her nursing training to help the population of a wide area around Igede-Ekiti. She also homeschooled her four children as necessary. Later they moved to Osogbo, where they served as administrators and house-parents at the Baptist MK school there for several years. In 1971 they were moved to Jos, in the north of Nigeria, where they learned another African language and served in school administration, teaching, and then worked together in church planting and discipleship for nearly twenty years. They retired in 1990, after 35 years in Nigeria, and moved to South Carolina. They also did an additional year as volunteers, back in Jos (1993-94). Their "retirement" was spent faithfully in their church (the same one in which they had done their pre-field experience), discipling, encouraging and helping people, teaching music, volunteering, and making gifts. Louise was mother to Baker, Richard, David, and Joy, as well as countless others, including her "adopted" Lebanese/Nigerian daughter Norma Abed, whom she discipled and who became a missionary as well. The world is a much better place because Louise was here.

Louise is survived by her sons John Baker Hill Junior and daughter-in-law Gail of Gainesville, GA, Richard Wendell Hill and daughter-in-law Kathleen of Independence, OR, David Winston Hill and daughter-in-law Lisa of Macau, and her daughter Joy Hill Hebert of Destrehan, LA. Her grandchildren are Christopher Hill, Jessica Minga, and Doug Hill of Arizona, Angela Lollis of Anderson, SC, and Ayana Nell of Columbia, Laura Lobb of Dakar, Senegal and Gainesville, Georgia, John Hill of Buford, Georgia, Kevin Hill of Fresno, California, Kent Hill of Kansas City, and Allison Zellman of Colorado. She is also survived by several great-grandchildren and four great-great grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at Greenlawn Baptist Church, Columbia, SC, at 10 AM on December 30, 2023.

In lieu of flowers or food, the family asks that you consider a contribution in Louise's honor to Nigeria Faithful Works, Inc. (www.nigeriafaithful.org)

Memorial Park Riverside Chapel 989 Riverside Drive Gainesville, Georgia is in charge of arrangements. For online condolences www.memorialparkfuneralhomes.com